After easily coasting to a predictable victory in his bid for re-election, Mayor Julián Castro told a group of supporters at his campaign headquarters that with their help, San Antonio would become the liveliest city in the nation, a special place that he said “represents the new face of the American dream.”

In a pallid election year in which just 7 percent of the electorate showed up to the polls, Castro garnered almost 82 percent of the vote against his four challengers, James Rodriguez, Will McLeod, Michael Idrogo and Rhett Smith.

That he faced no real opposition is a testament to the success of his first term, one marked by both the implementation of significant policy — from better protecting trees to approving a smoking ban — and the completion of the first phase of a legacy long-term planning effort, SA2020.

Castro said he will work during his second term to make the coming years the “decade of downtown,” as well as continue his efforts to improve the local education system.

In January, he publicly breached a long-perceived wall between municipal government and independent school districts when he said he'd involve himself in forming stronger school boards.

He actively supported former Councilwoman Patti Radle in her bid for the San Antonio Independent School District's board of trustees. She'd planned to challenge Tom Lopez, the longest-serving member of the board, but after entering the race, Lopez announced he wouldn't seek re-election.

“There's no question that after this election there will be a significantly different leadership dynamic at SAISD,” he said. “Patti won a great race.”

The mayor said he also looks forward to working with board President James Howard, who held onto his position in the face of Castro's support for Howard's opponent, Joy McGhee.

Castro's reach into the school districts will continue as his Brainpower Initiative task force searches across the country for a program to implement here. He'll seek a 1/8-cent sales tax, the last bit of San Antonio's capacity, to fund the yet-to-be-determined program.

With the majority of the council allied with him, Castro should have no problem getting the proposed tax onto the November 2012 ballot. But he's expected to face some resistance, likely from the council's North Side contingent.

Despite a council with four new members, Castro said he's confident the next two years will be much like the last two — collegial and even-keeled, without “too much of a showboat” from anyone.

“We're going to have a great group of folks,” he said. “I'm confident I'll be working with a first-rate City Council.”

Still, Castro is losing two of his most-trusted lieutenants — Philip Cortez and Justin Rodriguez — to term limits, though it's unlikely the number of allies on whom he counts will drop.

Castro's victory lap will be short. He and the new council — which won't be fully shaped until after a couple of runoff elections next month — are facing substantial budget shortfalls in at least the next five budget years.

“The next couple of years are going to be fundamental to ensuring that we continue to make San Antonio a city of great opportunity,” Castro said during his victory speech. “We're going to have a tough budget to get through in the next couple months. We have a bond issue to work on for May of 2012. We have the opportunity to make important infrastructure investments in the upward mobility of young people, who are our future.”

Castro will oversee the largest bond program in the city's history, one that's estimated to be roughly $600 million. It'll be modeled on the 2007 program, but Castro has said it will put a greater emphasis on the city's urban core.

It likely will contain funding for HemisFair Park — on top of the nearly $20 million that's been applied to that redevelopment project from savings from the 2007 bond program. Castro has said he wants the redeveloped HemisFair Park to become a national icon, like New York's Central Park and Chicago's Millennium Park.

“Now he'll have to look at the implementation,” he said. “It's going to be challenging with decreasing budgets — state and federal.”

The city will face greater fiscal challenges, he said, to sustain current services and launch new programs that the city will find necessary.

Included in Castro's top priorities for the coming term is securing a grocery store downtown, a move officials believe could draw more residents and development to the inner core. Castro and City Manager Sheryl Sculley both have said they're working diligently to make it happen, and H-E-B confirmed last month it is “actively engaged” with city officials on the concept but has not yet committed to the project.

Also, Castro said he'll continue to work not only on growing San Antonio's workforce — but also adding more high-paying jobs. Castro has helped recast the Economic Development Foundation to better attract those positions.

When the mayor spoke to his supporters Saturday night, he paid homage to his mother, Rosie Castro, a longtime community activist who raised her twin sons — the mayor and state Rep. Joaquín Castro — in a life that may have destined them for the political careers they now have. Castro said his mother has been an inspiration to him and his brother.

“We decided to go into politics, originally, because we grew up with my mother and with a belief that if you did public service right, that you could actually make a difference in people's lives, in helping people reach their potential in reaching the American Dream,” the mayor said.

“And for me, that's what the last two years have been about as mayor.”